27 Jan 2021, NIICE Commentary 6738
Himanshi Bahl
In light of their historical relationship and present convergence of strategic interests, India and Japan have joined hands, under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to give shape to a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’ with the agenda to improve connectivity between the ‘two seas’ (the Indian and Pacific oceans) and ‘two continents’ (Asia and Africa). This vision started to take shape in the Japan administration’s views over a decade earlier.
The first articulation of a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’ was after the India-Japan strategic dialogue (2006) when in 2007, Prime Minister Abe had, in his address to the Indian parliament, said “We (Japanese people) have rediscovered India as a partner that shares the same values and interests and also as a friend that will work alongside us to enrich the seas of freedom and prosperity, which will be open and transparent to all. Japanese diplomacy is now promoting various concepts in a host of different areas so that a region called “the Arc of Freedom and Prosperity” will be formed along the outer rim of the Eurasian continent. The Strategic Global Partnership of Japan and India is pivotal for such pursuits to be successful.” His address introduced Japan’s vision of a “broader Asia” and reiterated the importance of the values shared by both countries, like freedom and democracy, for the future course of action.
The FOIP strategy was revived in 2015 after Abe became Prime Minister again in 2012. After 2016, FOIP has become an integrated foreign policy aspect for Japan which has sought a partner in India (along with the US and Australia, which form the QSD). It became a pivot for the Japan administration’s foreign policy.
Convergence of Interests
India’s own SAGAR initiative (Security and Growth for All in the Region) was inclusive and defined Indian efforts to deepen economic and security cooperation in its maritime relationships. Respect for international law and freedom of navigation was central to the SAGAR initiative which is in consonance with the aspect of ‘rule-based order’ that Japan seeks to establish in its FOIP strategy with regard to rule of law.
Japan’s initiatives that would be undertaken for future development in the African continent were underlined during the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, 2016 (TICAD VI) in Nairobi, where efforts for the promotion of economic ties along with the improvement of education and infrastructure were declared. India’s own commitment to strengthen ties with the African continent was articulated when Prime Minister Modi, during the Inaugural Address at Second Raisina Dialogue, New Delhi, talked about “the traditional friendship and historical links” which had led to sharing of “strengths and capacities” with Africa along with other developing countries. The growing bilateral relations were evident back in 2015 also when India moved away from the Banjul formula and invited 54 heads of African countries to New Delhi for bilateral discussions between the stakeholders.
After the 2014 Indo-Japan annual summit, their bilateral relationship was escalated to a ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’ in the Tokyo Declaration for India – Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Here, India appreciated the Japanese concept of ‘proactive contribution to peace’ which has promoted peace and stability in the entire region and in the world at large.
FOIP sought to promote connectivity for economic purposes between the two continents (and the middle-east) by investment in infrastructure projects and further expansion of trade ties which was in the interest of India and Japan. The 2017 Indo-Japan annual summit, reiterated the strong commitment of both countries ‘to their values-based partnership in achieving a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region where sovereignty and international law are respected, and differences are resolved through dialogue, and where all countries, large or small, enjoy freedom of navigation and overflight, sustainable development, and a free, fair, and open trade and investment system.
They shared the desire to further promote cooperation and collaboration in Africa in line with the priority measures identified through the India-Japan dialogue on Africa..Here alignment of Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy with India’s Act East Policy was sought along with coordination bilaterally and with other partners to improve regional coordination for better results.
Transforming Ideas to Actions: Asia Africa Growth Corridor
The Africa Asia Growth Corridor (AAGC) is a people-centric initiative to envisage sustainable growth through the model of development cooperation. It emerged after a joint declaration that was released by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the India-Japan annual summit meeting in Tokyo in 2016. The joint declaration envisaged that India and Japan would take the lead to promote developmental cooperation in Africa with an aim to promote industrial corridors and industrial networks in Asia and Africa for bringing about economic prosperity for the whole region by means of improving trade ties and infrastructure development. It is a direct manifestation of the idea of the ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’ vision.
In consonance with the ideals of FOIP, the AAGC focuses on the Indian Ocean region (IOR) and Africa with actions taken as per the four pillars -Development and Cooperation Projects, Quality Infrastructure and Institutional Connectivity, Enhancing Capacities and Skills and People-to-People partnership. It has the pertinent goal of enhancing the growth and interconnectedness between and within Asia and Africa. The basis of the initiatives is to focus on the people of Asia and Africa is central to the formation of developmental cooperation between the two continents. Promotion of free movement and flow of people, goods, capital and knowledge is important to the strategy.
Conclusion
The FOIP strategy spearheaded by Japan with India as its main partner is in accordance with the broader Vision 2025 expressed during the Indo-Japan annual summit, 2015. The main idea of which is work for the development of “deep, broad-based and action-oriented partnership” in the Indo-Pacific region. It springs from both countries’ commitment to a rule-based order to govern the Indo Pacific region for free and open economic and developmental activity, all the while upholding sovereignty and integrity. The leaders had pledged to work for peace, security and development of the Indo-Pacific region toward 2025 underpinned by such principles. The AAGC shows the link and connection between the Indo- Japan coordinated action for future which is in line with their ambitious Vision 2025.
